Violent Jarrow prisoner in social media phone probe

Gareth Crickmer

Prison bosses are investigating claims a violent South Tyneside thug who is serving 13 years has been making illegal social media posts from behind bars.

Since the start of January, an account in the name of Scott Stubbings on photo sharing site Instagram has been updated five times.

Scott Stubbings

The two most recent - posted in the early hours of Friday and carrying the ‘scot stubbzyy’ tag - reveal personal family details.

Former car mechanic Stubbings, of Abbey Drive, Jarrow, was jailed last year for his part in a savage attack on a businessman.

He is currently serving time in HMP Northumberland, which is run by services company Sodexo.

Mobile phones and access to the internet are banned in all UK prisons.

Anyone caught with one could have an extra two years added to their sentence.

Despite that, around 15,000 mobiles and SIM cards are seized every year by prison authorities.

Bosses at the prison vowed to investigate.

A spokesperson said: “The smuggling of mobile phones is a challenge that we continue to invest resources in and work hard to try and address. As soon as we are made aware of the possibility of a mobile phone in the possession of a prisoner, immediate action is taken.

“Prisoners found to be using social networking sites can be stripped of their privileges and have time added to their sentence.

“We are investigating this incident.”

David Hines, of murder support charity the National Victims’ Association, said it was “outrageous” if it was Stubbings who had made the posts.

He added: “This type of thing should not be tolerated in our prisons. These things are always in favour of the prisoner, not the victim.

“Prisoners should be allowed a phone call but only for an emergency, and it should be in a controlled area.

“The sooner the Ministry of Justice gets tough on this the better.”

Stubbings and his accomplice - Tony Ingram, of Thames Avenue, Jarrow - were jailed at Newcastle Crown Court after being convicted of robbery after followed their victim to his home and beating him in front of his wife, in March 2015.

They made off with between £6,000 and £8,000, most of which was never recovered.

They were identified by witnesses who spotted the car they used to travel to the property in Monkton Village, Jarrow.

Stubbings was also jailed for eight months in 2014 for an attack on a student on the dancefloor of former South Shields nightclub Roxannes.

His punch, described as a “mighty blow”, left his victim’s jawbone sticking out, requiring two operations.

He has also been convicted of faking insurance documents in an attempt to get a cheaper care insurance deal.